On 10 Jun, 1940, the Barbana G. was taken as prize at sea off Leith and taken to Methil. She was renamed Empire Airman by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

At 00.22 hours on 22 Sep, 1940, the Empire Airman (Master John Brown Raine) in convoy HX-72 was torpedoed and damaged by U-100 about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The ship was taken in tow but sank on 23 September